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The annual event on Tybee Island has a revamped format of five races spread out over one night and one day for a total of 26.2 miles — a full marathon. The opening race was the North Beach Grill 5K starting at the lighthouse and Fort Screven, which helped protect the runners on a cold and windy Friday night.

The 3.1-mile race, which drew 1,140 entries and had 1,050 participants, will be followed today by the Sundae Café 10K at 7 a.m., the Critz Half Marathon at 8:30 a.m., the Lighthouse Pizza 2.8 Mile Beach Run at noon and the YMCA 1 Mile at 1 p.m.

As the 5K was immediately followed by food, beverages and a live band, race director Robert Espinoza advised the field before the start: “Those of you running in all five events might want to get home as soon as you can.”

Espinoza said the entire five-event field had at least 3,200 different entries by Friday afternoon, exceeding the record of 3,020 for the Tybee Run, which had two races last year: a half marathon and a 5K. There is no race-day registration today.

“So far, so good,” Espinoza said after the 5K. “We’re happy with the numbers. Everything’s good.”

It was a particularly good showing for the cross country program at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Tom Koetsenruijter beat teammate John Sutherland for the overall title, while the Bees’ Melanie Novack was the fastest female runner in the field.

A sophomore fashion design major from St. Augustine, Fla., Novack was the 2011 female runner of the year in The Sun Conference. She didn’t mind the nighttime event — a rarity among Savannah’s annual slate of 5K and 10K races.

“It was really good running,” said Novack, who smashed her personal-best time in the 5K of 18:16 with 17:50.46 on Friday. “I like running in the dark. You can’t really see anything.”

Koetsenruijter was at the front and could see a golf cart leading the way through Tybee’s darkened streets — except for six light towers along the course. Sutherland tried to keep up with him.

“Not very close,” said Sutherland, a senior motion graphics major from Denver, Colo. “I was about 25 to 30 seconds behind him. I tried to hold on. He pulled away from me.”

Sutherland was originally going to run in today’s 10K, but SCAD coach Michael Sergi asked him to enter the 5K and help pace Koetsenruijter. A good teammate, Sutherland did perhaps too good of a job for his own chance of winning.

“He’s a great runner, very experienced,” Sutherland said. “He’s run in big races in Europe.”

Koetsenruijter, a freshman architecture major from Roosendaal, The Netherlands, has a personal best in the 5K of 14:46 set on a track. He said he’s the Under-19 champion in the 5K in his home country.

He finished in 15:03.40, with Sutherland setting a personal best of 15:27.03 for second place, and Brian Knapp, 28, in third in 16:40 flat.

“It’s such a big race,” Koetsenruijter said. “The audience is awesome, so enthusiastic.”

Today, these teammates will be part of the audience cheering on SCAD runners in the other events.

NORTH BEACH GRILL 5K MEN’S WINNER:

TOM KOETSENRUIJTER

Age: 18

Hometown: Roosendaal, The Netherlands

Winning time: 15 minutes, 3.40 seconds

Running experience: A freshman cross country runner at Savannah College of Art and Design last season, he was the 2011 Sun Conference Newcomer of the Year and first-team all-conference.

Quote: “The conditions were awesome. I got to run with my buddy, John Sutherland. We were pushing each other by competing.”

NORTH BEACH GRILL 5K WOMEN’S WINNER: MELANIE NOVACK

Age: 20

Hometown: St. Augustine, Fla.

Winning time: 17:50.46

Running experience: A sophomore cross country runner at SCAD last season, she was the 2011 Sun Conference Runner of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and first-team all conference as well as the course record holder in the conference championship 5K (19:26).

Quote: “I came into it wanting to win it but you can’t guarantee a win. You have to run your best.”

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